After leaving the house, Yang Qingzhi was still cursing and said to Zuo Zhu, "Do you think this woman has something wrong with her head?"

Zuo Zhu honestly replied, "Little Commander, you've stumped me. I'm just like you; I've never been in a relationship."

"Thank goodness we didn't talk about it, who could stand that?"

"yes……"

When this topic came up suddenly, both men fell silent.

I don't know what to say next.

Zuo Zhu broke the awkward silence by asking, "What about Zhou Nuo? Should he be executed?"

Yang Qingzhi shook his head and said, "It was possible before, killing her was fine, but we can't kill her now."

Why?

"She is now the murderer who shot Zhao Cheng. Whether Zhao Cheng is dead or alive, she has to take the blame for us."

Yang Qingzhi's expression was grave. He said, "Zhao Cheng is different now. He is now the son-in-law of the Great Jing Emperor. What if the Emperor and the Jing Emperor reach an agreement? What if my father makes me release him, but he dies? How will we explain this? So Zhou Nuo cannot die now."

Zuo Zhu's eyes lit up, and he said, "I understand! If Zhao Cheng dies or is crippled by an arrow, and the Jingguo Kingdom and the Right Prime Minister's Office want to investigate, we can pin it on Zhou Nuo and say that Zhao Cheng was killed in a moment of passion!"

"Intelligence is a crime of passion!"

Yang Qingzhi said sternly, "However, you're wrong about one thing. It's not that we're blaming Zhou Nuo; it's that she did it. So many eyes were watching, how could it be false?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zuo Zhu nodded vigorously, echoing, "The Great Jing's archer shot Zhao Cheng from two hundred meters away with an arrow. What else could it be but murder?"

Yang Qingzhi sighed and said, "That's what I say, but I still pray that Zhao Cheng is alright. Otherwise, I'm worried that Zhou Nuo won't be able to handle it alone, and I won't be able to get out unscathed either..."

Zuo Zhu said seriously, "Then the young commander will push the blame onto me!"

Yang Qingzhi patted Zuo Zhu heavily on the shoulder and said, "I know you are loyal, but you are currently insignificant and your words carry little weight. You can't hold out."

Yang Qingzhi took a few steps forward, looked up at the sky, and said slowly, "When he returned from Changsui, I hoped he would die, but now I hope he's lucky enough to survive. Zhao Cheng, oh Zhao Cheng, you really are my nemesis..."

Inside the room.

Zhou Nuo's ears twitched a few times. She was naturally perceptive, and she overheard Yang Qingzhi and Zuo Zhu talking outside without keeping their voices down.

For the first time since leaving Changsui and arriving in Yunjing, a smile appeared on her face.

Her thoughts drifted back to the morning after the Battle of Muqiaokou ended...

There were too many Southern Zhou soldiers. Zhou Nuo was shooting at the Southern Zhou soldiers who approached Zhao Cheng almost instinctively, relying on muscle memory. She couldn't care less about herself, fearing that even the slightest pause would allow the Southern Zhou soldiers to slip through and harm Zhao Cheng.

If her brother were here, things would be alright; he could protect her and prevent the enemy from getting close.

But my brother isn't here.

So Zuo Zhu kicked her off the horse.

Then came the Southern Zhou soldiers who surrounded them, all raising their butcher knives.

Zhou Nuo lay on his back, awaiting death.

But then a face appeared in her eyes.

That was a face that evoked both love and hate in her.

Zhao Cheng shielded her with his body, taking the blows of the Southern Zhou soldiers for her.

At that moment, she really wanted to cry.

But she heard Zhao Cheng whisper in her ear, "Don't make a sound after we get caught, just listen to me."

Before Zhou Nuo could even respond, he heard Zhao Cheng shout, "I am Zhao Cheng!"

"I am Zhao Cheng, the son-in-law of the Great Jing Dynasty and the eldest son of the Right Chancellor!!"

They were arrested.

The war was drawing to a close, and dawn was breaking.

Zuo Zhu led them to a quick transfer, returning to the Southern Zhou army camp before Zhao Wu, Heng Wenhao, and Gan Lang could cross the bridge.

The three of them made quite a commotion on the bridge, and Zuo Zhu was slightly distracted to take a look.

At this moment, Zhou Nuo saw Zhao Cheng slow down his pace, turned his head and said softly, "I was captured on the battlefield, and everyone knows that I fell into Yang Qingzhi's hands. I guess that way he won't dare to kill me. But you have both new and old grudges with him, so he might kill you."

"Xiao Nuo, whenever you have the chance to see Yang Qingzhi, you must act as if you hate me and offer to kill me with your own hands."

“If Yang Qingzhi gives you this chance, then shoot an arrow at me.”

"I'm entrusting my life to you, I trust you. You must also trust me and do as I say."

"Only in this way can you live."

"..."

In a daze, Zhao Cheng dreamed of him and Zhou Nuo. Although his eyes were not yet open, he showed a pained expression and his body twisted a few times.

Snap!

The doctor took the opportunity to remove the arrowhead and quickly stopped the bleeding for Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as if he was trying to breathe.

"There's a response!" The doctor breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up and walked towards the door, eager to report to Yang Qingzhi.

Just then, Yang Qingzhi walked in.

"How is it?" Yang Qingzhi grabbed the doctor's collar.

The doctor exclaimed joyfully, "He's alive! He's alive!"

Yang Qingzhi breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What happened?"

"That was close, so very close! If it weren't for my many years of medical experience..."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"Yes, yes, yes..." The doctor wiped his sweat and continued, "This arrow hit his left chest and was close to his back; the arrowhead almost went through. It was only a fist's distance from his heart and two fingers' distance from his neck! The worst part was that the arrowhead was stuck below his collarbone, and it took a lot of effort to remove it!"

Yang Qingzhi analyzed the result and asked, "You mean if it had been a little lower or a little higher, this kid would have been dead?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!